Top Russian Journalist, Oleg Kashin, Fired from Print Newspaper, Moves to Online Journal · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Earlier today, Kommersant newspaper announced that it has fired columnist Oleg Kashin, one of Russia's best known journalists. In comments to Lenta.ru, Kommersant's chief editor, Mikhail Mikhailin, explained [ru] that Kashin's output has slipped in previous months, becoming too little to sustain his employment. Other sources indicate that Kashin's decision to join [ru] the political opposition's Coordinating Council represented a conflict of interest for Kommersant.
Though Kashin appears to have agreed to a severance package that forbids him from commenting on his dismissal, his Facebook page [ru] has become a pinboard for messages of moral support. Leaving Kommersant, Kashin will transition full-time to Openspace.ru, where he has been publishing articles [ru] since July 2012. This marks the journalist's increasingly online orientation, which underscores the digital demographic to whom he best appeals.